The University of Iowa Health Care, Department of Pharmaceutical Care, is seeking a full-time Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to join our team. This ambulatory pharmacist works with our other pharmacists in the Adult Autoimmune clinics (Dermatology, Gastroenterology (GI), Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, and Pulmonary) to provide pharmacist services to patients. Common disease states this pharmacist would help with include psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and severe asthma. Sample medications this pharmacist could work with include adalimumab, ustekinumab, and dupilumab. The pharmacist works collaboratively with the multidisciplinary healthcare team to provide care for patients in these clinics. They will answer clinical questions about medications, provide education on new therapies and medication devices, coordinate dispensing, as well as medication monitoring and management for patients receiving specialty medications through UIHC Specialty Pharmacy Services. The pharmacist also serves as a role-model/practitioner-educator for Doctor of Pharmacy students and pharmacy residents and carries out clinical practice responsibilities for the Department of Pharmaceutical Care.
Position Responsibilities:
Patient Care - Participate in the provision of pharmaceutical care in select clinics
Be present in clinics when patients are scheduled to see the clinical pharmacist and when clinical pharmacy services are required
Complete a comprehensive patient assessment including medication history, pertinent physical assessment, and assessment of relevant laboratory values, patient interview, and an evaluation of past medical history for appropriate patients
Work with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care providers as a member of the multi-disciplinary team
Provide disease state management and medication therapy management services through the use of collaborative practice agreements and protocols
Provide in-depth patient medication assessment and education
Provide follow-up of therapeutic recommendations through telephone calls and return clinic appointments as appropriate
Identify, evaluate, and prevent adverse drug events through appropriate interventions
Communicate therapeutic recommendations to the health care provider
Document relevant clinical information in electronic medical record
Coordinate medication-planning activities including facilitation of prescription writing, patient education, coordination with family members or home health care providers, etc.
Collaboratively address financial issues to ensure receipt of needed medications
Provide drug information and education to health care professionals
Serve as liaison for ambulatory pharmacy staff regarding patient medication therapy
Evaluate patient-specific medication regimens to ensure the appropriateness of the following:
Indication
Correct dose
Route of administration
Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-lab, or drug-disease state interactions
Efficacy of therapy
Adherence to therapy
Dose adjustments for organ dysfunction
Adverse drug reactions
Potential drug misuse or abuse
Use of the most cost-effective therapy
Availability of medications on the UIHC Formulary (if applicable)
Provide staffing support in Specialty Pharmacy Services when needed
Complete patient follow-up calls to address side-effects/adherence
Residency Training and Student Teaching Programs
Develop goals and objectives for pharmacy residency programs and Doctor of Pharmacy advanced pharmacy practice and introductory pharmacy practice experiences
Prepare and administer pharmacy student and / or resident rotation evaluations
Participate in the formal experiential training and didactic teaching required to conduct the pharmacy residency programs and Doctor of Pharmacy advanced pharmacy practice and introductory pharmacy practice experiences
Participate in recruiting activities for pharmacy residency programs
Provide daily communication and follow-up to other clinical pharmacists, pharmacy areas, and other health care professionals as needed
Provide in-service education to pharmacists as needed
Provide in-service education to members of the health care team as needed
Assist physicians, nurses, health care team members, and patients with medication questions, medication access and continuity of care issues
Documentation of patient care activities in accreditation compliant manners:
Clinical services and patient care activities in the electronic medical record
Patient assessment and therapeutic plan recommendations
Medication errors into standard reporting system
Adverse drug reactions into standard reporting system
Patient allergies and height/weight information as needed
Medication counseling provided to patients
Interventions with prescribers and other health care providers
Clinic and follow-up telephone encounters
Others as required
Develop and provide new department clinical service initiatives, which may require any or all of the following:
Participate in the rotation with other specialists to support 24-hour, 7-day/week on-call coverage to ambulatory care patients for drug therapy issue problem solving. This occurs approximately 1-2 weeks per year and historically has low usage.
Develop or contribute to the development of protocols related to appropriate prescribing, dispensing and monitoring of specialty medications
Provide a leadership role in department or interdisciplinary hospital committees involved with drug therapy issues
Develop or contribute to the development of drug information resources such as pocket cards and practice guidelines that are distributed hospital wide to foster cost effective, rational prescribing
Design, implement, and coordinate development of the clinical components of the pharmacy or hospital wide information systems
Administration
Coordinate therapeutic decision-making when there is a paucity of literature or experience for reference
Serve as the primary reference source on new drug therapy advances in the specialized area of practice
Identify and resolve significant/highly unusual patient drug therapy problems
Complete clinically oriented departmental goals
Develop and coordinate policies, procedures, and clinical reference documents relevant to the clinical applications of new therapies
Manage and analyze events related to medication errors - including participation in informal multi-disciplinary sentinel event review teams
Interview and evaluate prospective professional pharmacy practitioners
Adhere to all department policies and procedures
Contribute to the department budgetary process by reviewing, designing, implementing, and monitoring budget initiatives that address hospital wide or unit specific issues
Participate with the implementation and monitoring of new programs developed either by the Department or through another means (e.g., P&T Committee)
Quality Improvement
Provide a leadership role in university committees involved with drug therapy
Develop and conduct measurement activities that demonstrate Specialty Pharmacy Service value, including adherence and outcome measures
Perform quality assurance monitoring of services provided by the UIHC Specialty Pharmacy Services
Develop educational programs to certify the clinical competence of pharmacists and improve the technician understanding of medical conditions being treated
Other
Conduct research in area of expertise and present/publish results at professional meetings or in professional journals
Consistently demonstrate the WECARE values and Service Excellence culture of UIHC
Complete and maintain compliance with all competencies and educational requirements
Education Requirements:
A Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy degree is required
Eligibility for or current license by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy Examiners is required prior to start
Board certification in an applicable area or applicable specialty certification within 12 months of being eligible or start date whichever is more relevant.
Experience Requirements:
Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy practice residency OR 2 years' experience in a complex multi-disciplinary healthcare environment
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required
Job-related experience with and/or commitment to service excellence is required
Professional experience working effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.
Desired Qualifications:
Satisfactory completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY2 residency in Ambulatory Care is desirable.
Active board certification in Ambulatory Care or Pharmacotherapy is desirable.
Able to work independently, prioritize multiple stakeholders and tasks, manage details and deliver results in an environment with competing demands
Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with others
Position and Application details:
In order to be considered for an interview, applicants must upload the following documents and mark them as a "Relevant File" to the submission: • Resume • Cover Letter
Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended. Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. For additional questions, please contact Penni Berger at penni-berger@uiowa.edu